18 incredibly impressive students at Duke

Published 2:58 pm, Wednesday, April 29, 2015

But basketball isn't the only area where Duke students excel. From fighting against discrimination to sending time capsules into space to finding a quicker way to detect cancer, Duke students go above and beyond in all they do.

We tracked down 18 outstanding undergrads with help from the school's communications office and through recommendations from current students.

Arun Karottu and Shelly Li found a safer way to recycle electronic equipment.

Class of 2015

Arun Karottu and Shelly Li started an electronic waste recycling company called Smart Metals Recycling after seeing how many electronics were thrown out at Duke at the end of each year. These electronics end up in landfills and harm the environment.

Smart Metals recycles old electronics by recovering reusable metals and plastics from devices and putting them back into the production cycle. The company handles over 100,000 pounds of electronic waste a day, and generates over $6 million in annual revenue.

Previously, Karottu, the vice president of sales, also founded a medical device company that helps health care professionals perform certain tasks — like checking charts and accessing files — hands-free. Li, the president, is also a published sci-fi author.

When they graduate, the two seniors plan to build a refurbishing side to their operations and work on larger-scale projects, like decommissioning a power plant to find valuable parts to reuse and recycle.

Brittany Wenger developed cloud4cancer, a cloud-based artificial neural network that diagnoses breast cancer. Cloud4cancer uses a computer program that analyzes breast cancer diagnostic data to detect and recognize patterns in malignant tissue. The program is 99.1% sensitive to malignancy.

Wenger, who was named one of TIME magazine’s 30 under 30, has presented her research to the Royal Society of Medicine and Clinton Global Initiative University.

While only a sophomore, Wenger plans on pursuing an MD/PhD when she graduates with the ultimate goal of becoming a pediatric oncologist.

Charlotte Lee taught sex ed in public schools in Kenya.

Class of 2015

Charlotte Lee worked in rural Kenya training local research assistants and teaching sex education in public schools. One in three people in Muhuru Bay, Kenya, are HIV positive, and Lee taught a curriculum that included hard facts, contraceptive methods, and helping students envision their futures without unplanned pregnancies or STDs.

Lee is a public health advocate in multiple spheres: She also served as a research associate in the Peruvian Amazon studying the health effects of mercury related to artisanal gold mining, and coordinated the first-ever New York City Hepatitis B Awareness Week with New York City Council.

After graduation, Lee will spend the next year as a Luce Scholar with the Henry Luce Foundation doing global health work, most likely in Thailand, looking at diseases like HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B, which affect maternal and child health. She eventually plans to become an OB/GYN.